Program Overview

The purpose of the University of Tennessee Organic and Sustainable Crop Production Program is to involve more Tennessee farmers in organic production in order to increase farm income and to provide an alternative to keep the family farm in the family. Organic production has the potential to increase profits by reducing the use of off-farm inputs and providing consumers with locally-grown, high-quality organic products in a rapidly growing market where the demand is greater than the supply.

Our mission is to lead, inspire, discover and advance organic and sustainable production locally and globally.

The internship program is 8-months long, January through August, with a 6-credit hour course requirement in the spring. Interns will register for PLSC 275: Organic & Sustainable Crop Production and PLSC 492: Plant Science Internship (inquire for details). In addition, interns get paid to work at the farm market garden at the Organic Crops Unit in the summer, and sell the produce at the weekly UT Harvest Market stand. Interns gain skills in business planning and management, vegetable and small fruit planning and production, and direct marketing. To learn more about the internship duties, click here. To download an application, click here. Email completed applications to jmarti90@utk.edu.